Walking, walking, walking

[texasmomoftwins]

Hey Disney pros! We're planning a 10 day Disney trip in May. We haven't been in ages and I'm terrified of the crazy blisters and achy feet and backs. What are your favorite shoes for trekking parks all day everyday? I've worn Skechers GoWalks in the past. Are these still good?

 

[Kelli72]

We did 5 days earlier this month. I brought a few pairs of shoes, but ended up wearing the Sketchers GoWalks every single day, I did not have one blister issue and we covered about 10-12 miles a day. Have a fun trip!

 

[mamaofsix]

Our whole family wears New Balance running shoes and thicker athletic socks. We are from Canada, so I'm not sure if this is also a U.S. shoe brand? A couple other things we've found helpful:

1)wrapping blister-prone toes or heals with bandages before putting socks and shoes on each morning. Helps prevent blisters from forming
2)Planning our day with the least amount of walking necessary. We don't criss-cross the parks or backtrack. We also plan lots of time for shows and attractions that involve sitting/resting in between spurts of walking.
3)Not going to the parks every day. Pool days / rest days are essential for resting tired feet.
4)Walking as a family lots leading up to the trip in order to break in shoes and also get our stamina up.
5)At the end of the night while waiting for fireworks or shows, we give each other back rubs! Combine with a hot bath when we get back to our hotel

Good luck, and enjoy!

 

[monorailmom]

If not too hot, I also love Go Walks. If the weather is particularly hot or humid, I do better with a good walking sandal that has a strap over the heel. My favorites are the Abeo brand, but I know others can recommend other brands too.

 

[MNDisneyMommy]

My shoe tip is to have two pairs that you like, and alternate them when possible. (We take midday breaks, so I almost always switch between morning and evening). Definitely helps! I have sneakers and GoWalks and a comfy pair of sandals.

 

[JK World]

My shoe tip is to have two pairs that you like, and alternate them when possible. (We take midday breaks, so I almost always switch between morning and evening). Definitely helps! I have sneakers and GoWalks and a comfy pair of sandals.

I agree, we all took 2-3 pair of shoes for our last trip. We did 7-10 miles per day, and switched shoes each day.

 

[chicagoshannon]

My kids wear crocs or a nice sandal. I either wear flip flops or the Sketchers Go Walk. Although the Sketchers tend to get holes by the toe when worn a lot.

 

[paisleys]

Croc sandals or FitFlop ones.. zero foot pain. I wear either of those in NYC too and we average 35000 steps a day there (says FitBit). Both are easy to clean after a long day too.

 

[kwdw]

You aren't going until May. I recommend buying a couple pair of shoes and trying them out - do a LOT of walking in them and see how you feel. Try them out on a day you are purposefully walking no less than 5 miles. See how your feet/legs/back feel. Everyone's foot is different. I'd suggest a good sneaker with lots of support and a sandal of some type. You WILL want to rotate shoes some - so go prepared with at least two pairs. And make sure you are picking them in the right size. Most blisters come from ill-fitting shoes - oftentimes ones that are a tad too small. Also - be cognizant of the socks you wear - having good fitting socks is key for me - they can't rub/slide around - or it will be the socks that cause blisters.

Also - make sure at least one of the pairs of shoes you take will dry out quickly. I live primarily in a pair of New Balance sneakers with a custom arch support - but I have a pair of Vionic sandals I can walk a day in, too, in case I get the sneakers wet and they need more time to dry out.

Just remember as you figure this out - everyone is different in their needs when it comes to this! My significant other can wear a cheap pair of sandals/flip flops all day and be just fine. He dies of heat and gets blisters when in a sneaker at Disney. Me - I'd be limping by noon in shoes similar to his!

 

[srwarden1928]

I personally wear my Keen sandals, but I think the most important thing is that you wear the shoes you are used to wearing all the time. Well broken in shoes are essential. I wouldn't wear shoes that didn't have at least reasonable foot support.

 

[AnnaS]

Many good recommendations. Whatever you bring, wear them at home first/break them in.

 

[Fosteringaprincess]

We do good sandals with great support. Chacos and keens are our favorite. We used to wear Crocs but my feet got so tired and I thought it was just all the walking until I wore chacos and my feet never got tired and sore. I quickly realized I needed more support. My husband still wears his Crocs every year, but my advice is make sure if they do Crocs they are newer with good trends bc they get very slick when in water/ rain.

 

[holden]

We do around 12-14 miles a day in WDW. Good supportive sneakers are the best shoes for us. No foot pain at all (and I have bad feet - need orthotics and can’t go barefoot, fallen arch, plantar fasciitis, etc).

Go to your local running store and get fitted for the sneaker that works for your feet. You don’t have to be a runner to buy shoes there. Wear them on some walks at home before the trip.

 

[HopperFan]

Everyone will be different. I used to wear only "running" shoes but then for fun tried a day with Skechers Go Walk, expecting negative results. WOW, my end of day pain was negible. Skechers is all I wear at parks now.

 

[JessicaW1234]

One thing to keep in mind- have more than one pair of "walking" shoes- we went & there was a downpour one day. My good shoes were drenched, & turned into blister shoes! I didn't have any good backups

 

[monorailsilver]

Keene or new balance flip flops. I like my toes to be open to air so they don’t sweat...plus we tend to get wet and I don’t want to walk around I wet shoes/shoes that are not meant to get wet.

Whatever you decide to wear, start wearing them now to break them in.

 

[eiblehs]

Hey Disney pros! We're planning a 10 day Disney trip in May. We haven't been in ages and I'm terrified of the crazy blisters and achy feet and backs. What are your favorite shoes for trekking parks all day everyday? I've worn Sketchers GoWalks in the past. Are these still good?

Last summer I visited Disney World and by day three I was in so much pain from all of the walking. I brought one pair of Nike running shoes, a pair of Sketchers GoGa Max sandals, a pair of shoes similar to Vans that I got from Target, and flip-flops. I wore the Sketchers on most days because they were the most flexible for my feet. Rookie mistake: I did not know that I could bring any medication that wasn't prescription on to a plane, so I did not pack any Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aleve, etc. This was part of my downfall. Lol!

We like to spend our Disney days as "go-go-go," so on Day 3 in Epcot, I was fighting back tears in my Nike tennis shoes. I ended up taking off my shoes on Living with the Land to massage my feet for the duration of the ride. We ended up having to take a mid-day break so I could go back to the hotel to change shoes and rest my feet. I also paid $7 for a bottle of Aleve in the Pop Century gift shop. (The price made me cringe but it was worth it!) I changed out of the running shoes and back into sandals. Along with my pain-relief medicine AKA my newfound-glory, I tackled the rest of the trip without too much pain.

Before my trip this summer, I am trying to find more tips/tricks so I can prevent the pain. Lessons learned the hard way: Bring pain-relief medicine and do not wear Nike running shoes!

 

[monorailsilver]

I wear keens or flip flops. I wear them all the time so I don’t feel blister problems. Sneakers are not allowed in the parks because my kids and me...well we get wet and I need shoes that armada to get wet

 

[BLAZEY]

I have multiple pairs of shoes that I bring so I can rotate. I ensure that I can walk long distances in all pairs? I also have moles skin and blister bandaids if needed. I also have body glide to put of potential hot spots.

 

[JK World]

I have multiple pairs of shoes that I bring so I can rotate. I ensure that I can walk long distances in all pairs? I also have moles skin and blister bandaids if needed. I also have body glide to put of potential hot spots.

Same here, take 2-3 pairs of shoes that you can do a lot of walking in and switch every day. Lets your feet move the pressure to different points so you don't wear them down.

Make sure you have really comfy socks that don't move or rub as well, just as important!